DragonSword: Awakening Mount Guide: How to Unlock the Air Dash and Underwater Travel

Mounts in DragonSword: Awakening are more than just a way to get around faster; they are essential tools that unlock entire sections of the world and grant game-changing abilities. You acquire them through two core methods: progressing the main story questline and increasing your Mercenary Rank. For the two most critical exploration mounts, the path is clear: focus on the main story to unlock underwater travel, and raise your Mercenary Rank to gain a free, repeatable air dash.

This guide breaks down exactly how to secure these key familiars and explains the skill system that makes them so powerful.

01

The Two Paths to Acquiring Mountstag

Unlike gear or weapons, mounts, also called Familiars, aren't random drops. They are milestone rewards tied directly to your progress in two specific systems. Understanding these paths is the first step to building your collection and maximizing your mobility.

• Story Progression: This is the most straightforward path. Certain mounts, particularly those required to access new types of terrain like underwater zones, are given to you automatically as you complete key chapters of the main story. These are unmissable, provided you keep pushing the narrative forward.
• Mercenary Rank: This system tracks your overall achievements in the world, from completing side quests to participating in mini-games and defeating world bosses. As you level up your rank from Novice onward, you’ll unlock new mounts and, crucially, new variations of mounts you already own.

For an efficient playthrough, your best bet is to prioritize the main story quest until you unlock the aquatic mount. Along the way, you'll naturally engage in activities that contribute to your Mercenary Rank, setting you up to unlock the game's best movement skill.

02

How to Get the Free Air Dash Skilltag

The single most impactful movement upgrade in the game is the free air dash. It allows you to perform an extra dash while gliding, letting you cross massive gaps, correct your trajectory, and reach previously inaccessible areas. This skill comes from a specific mount: the Bright Crow Tit. While the Deluxe Edition of the game grants a similar ability via a baby dragon familiar, every player can earn it in-game by following these steps.

Step 1: Reach Novice Mercenary Ranktag

Your first objective is to unlock the base version of the Bright Crow Tit. This bird-like familiar is awarded to you as soon as you achieve the rank of 'Novice Mercenary'. You gain mercenary experience by doing almost anything in the world—clearing dungeons, finishing side quests, and participating in world events. Focus on clearing your quest log and exploring the map, and you will hit Novice rank relatively quickly. This gives you the mount itself, but not the coveted skill.

Step 2: Complete 20 Mini-Games to Unlock the Skilltag

This is the crucial second step that most players miss. To get the air dash, you need to unlock the second variation of the Bright Crow Tit. This is tied to an in-game achievement: 'Complete 20 mini-games'. Once you hit this milestone, the second version is unlocked, and with it, the air dash skill becomes available. The best part? This skill can then be equipped on almost any other mount you own, meaning you don't have to ride the goofy-looking crow to benefit from its incredible power.

03

How to Unlock Underwater Explorationtag

Large portions of DragonSword: Awakening's map are submerged, hiding valuable treasures, secret passages, and unique materials. From the start, you'll see these tantalizing underwater zones, but you'll be unable to explore them. Access is gated behind a single, specific mount that cannot be obtained through any means other than the main story.

There is only one mount in the game that allows for underwater breathing and movement. You don't need to hunt for it, solve an obscure puzzle, or grind a specific currency. This aquatic familiar is a non-missable reward for completing a specific chapter in the main story quest. The game gives it to you fairly early on, so if you find yourself frustrated by inaccessible underwater areas, the solution is simple: stop exploring side content and focus exclusively on the main story for a few hours. Once you have this mount, you can backtrack and explore all the sunken depths you were forced to ignore.

04

Understanding Mount Skills and Variationstag

The mount system has a clever layer of progression. Finding a new mount is only the beginning. Each type of familiar has multiple variations, and unlocking these variations is how you acquire their second, more powerful skill. The Bright Crow Tit is the perfect example of this system in action.

• Base Mount: Unlocks the familiar for riding.
• Second Variation: Unlocks the familiar's secondary skill.

Once a secondary skill is unlocked, it's added to a pool of abilities that can be equipped on your other mounts. The air dash from the Bright Crow Tit's second variation can be slotted onto your favorite horse or beast, combining the best looks with the best utility. This is the core loop of mount collection: unlock new familiars not just for the mount itself, but for the powerful, shareable skills their variations provide. Note that some unique mounts, like the Deluxe Edition's dragon, may have skills that cannot be transferred.

A Final Wordtag

Mounts are a critical progression system in DragonSword: Awakening, directly gating your ability to explore the world. Don't treat them as simple cosmetic additions. By bee-lining the main story for the underwater mount and simultaneously working towards the Bright Crow Tit's air dash by clearing mini-games, you can equip yourself with the two most important exploration tools in the game, unlocking the full potential of the world far earlier than you might expect.